1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the art of forming a stack of crop material bales and, more particularly, is concerned with a bale wagon incorporating an improved apparatus for repositioning selected bales on a tier-forming table of the bale wagon.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Under normal operating conditions, most balers are unable to produce bales having a precise standard length. When such bales which vary somewhat in length are picked up and formed into a stack on a bale wagon of the type which employes the three-table concept, such as originally disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,848,127 to G. E. Grey, the side of the stack at the first table trip arm side of the bale wagon is generally even, while the opposite side of the stack at the bale loader side of the bale wagon is very uneven.
The reasons why this situation occurs and the problems associated therewith when stacking bales of non-standard lengths, particularly where some of the bales are significantly shorter than others, are thoroughly discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,684 to G. R. Butler and G. L. Sipe. This latter patent proposed two embodiments of a bale relocator mechanism for rectifying this situation.
In one embodiment of the mechanism, a finger-like structure is pivotally mounted below the tier-forming table for arcuate lateral movement through an opening in the table and a hydraulic cylinder is provided for pivoting the finger structure through its arcuate path of movement during which the finger structure is to engage the underside of a bale overlying the opening and move the bale toward the bale loader side of the table. The other embodiment of the mechanism is mounted on the bale-receiving or first table of the bale wagon adjacent the bale loader. A pair of finger structures are pivotally mounted on a connecting rod and normally positioned below the bale supporting surface of the first table. When the first table begins its upward pivotal movement to deliver the bales resting thereon to the tier-forming or second table, the connecting rod is moved laterally such that the finger structures carried thereby ride up cam surfaces and are caused to pivot upwardly through arcuate paths into engagement with the overlying bale.
However, sometimes, neither of these two embodiments adequately reposition the respective bale. The respective finger structures in being moved through an arcuate lateral path into engagement with the bale each have a tendency to tear through the bottom portion of the bale or lift the bale and just slide along its underside without substantially moving it laterally as desired. The effectiveness of the finger structure of the embodiment of the mechanism mounted on the second table in causing the lateral relocation of the overlying bale is sometimes impeded by the engagement of that bale with a bale positioned just rearwardly thereof. The arcuate lateral movement of the finger structure tends merely to pivot both bales as a unit rather than cause sliding of the front bale transversely toward the second table side and relative to the rear bale.
To summarize, while both embodiments of the bale relocator mechanism disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,684 represent significant steps toward rectification of the problems which arise during the stacking operation on a Grey bale wagon when short bales are encountered, they still fall short of providing the optimum solutions for these problems.